Today, smart cards and mobile devices, such as smart phones, may be used for carrying out many kinds of transactions. For example, smart cards and mobile devices may substitute traditional public transportation tickets or loyalty cards. In order to fulfill these functions, a smart card or mobile device typically contains a so-called secure element. A secure element may for example be an embedded chip, more specifically a tamper-resistant integrated circuit with installed or pre-installed smart-card-grade applications, for instance payment applications, which have a prescribed functionality and a prescribed level of security. Furthermore, a secure element may implement security functions, such as cryptographic functions and authentication functions. The executable applications which are contained in a secure element may need to be changed or updated when the secure element is already in use. These changes and updates should be done in a secure manner. Therefore, there may be a need to securely manage applications on secure elements which are already in use. In broader terms, there may be a need to manage content on secure elements which are already in use.